France completed their coming-of-age as a major badminton force with a sensational 4-0 victory over 14-time champions Indonesia in their final Thomas Cup group match. Needing to win at least four out of five matches to secure qualification, the French squad delivered under immense pressure—making their achievement against a powerhouse with renowned singles and doubles depth all the more remarkable.
“We are more than proud,” said Toma Junior Popov, whose dramatic win over Anthony Sinisuka Ginting was pivotal. “Leo [Rossi] and Eloi [Adam] showed they are capable of amazing things. They won silver at the European Championships here in Horsens and did the job again today. Just congrats to them and all the men’s singles.”
Christo Popov echoed the sense of disbelief and pride: “If you told me two, three, four years ago, that we’d beat Indonesia, who’s going to win the matches, you know? But today we just showed what we are capable of as a team… Those who were playing and not playing really hyped, and I think they gave us a lot of energy, especially at crucial moments.”
From the outset, Indonesia faced setbacks. Jonatan Christie, a stalwart in singles, struggled to recover after a narrow first game loss to Christo Popov, eventually falling 21-19 21-14. Alex Lanier, energized after a shaky start to the tournament, overcame Alwi Farhan 21-16 21-19 to give France their second win.
In a dramatic third match, Anthony Ginting appeared poised to revive Indonesia’s hopes, but a heavy fall in the deciding game shifted the momentum. Toma Junior Popov capitalized, snatching victory from the brink and putting France just one win away from the upset.
Despite Indonesia fielding two top-10 doubles pairs, the surging confidence and energy from France proved decisive. Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani, ranked No.9, faltered under pressure against Adam/Rossi, ranked No.52. The French duo delivered the knockout blow with a 21-19 21-19 win, sealing the historic result.
“Maybe it was the most important win for France. Very happy about today, like 4-0 against Indonesia, which is maybe the more iconic country in badminton. So it means a lot. And it’s a good year for the French team,” Adam said.
France’s stunning performance not only eliminated Indonesia but also confirmed their own status as a rising force in world badminton, setting the stage for further breakthroughs in the Thomas Cup knockout rounds.
